Some computer systems operate in highly controlled environments. For example, certain advanced server and storage systems, for which downtime tolerance is very low, operate in a specifically designed raised floor computer room having temperature and humidity control as well as various safety systems such as fire alarms and fire suppression systems.
In some cases, users of such computer systems operate at locations that are remote from the computer systems. In such a scenario, the user relies on the safety and monitoring systems to lower the risk of particular catastrophic causes of computer system downtime.
A conventional approach to monitoring the environment in the vicinity of an unattended computer system involves one or more sensing devices individually wired, for example, to an audible fire alarm, or to a response center specific to the sensor, such as a local fire department. The conventional approach uses separate sensors individually connected to selected response locations using communication methods separate from the computer system.